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Loviatar
Maiden of Pain, the Willing Whip, Patroness of Torturers Lesser Power of Gehenna, LE PORTFOLIO: Pain, hurt, agony, torment, suffering, torture ALIASES: None DOMAIN NAME: Mungoth/Ondrland SUPERIOR: None (formerly Bhaal) ALLIES: Malar, Bane (now dead), Bhaal (now dead) FOES: Ilmater, Eldath, Talona, Lliira SYMBOL: A black nine-stranded whip, the ends bloody and barbed, or (in elder days) a chalk-white, slim, female human left hand, fingertips downward, with three drops of blood dripping from each of them. WOR. ALIGN.: LE, NE, CE Loviatar (Loh-VEE-a-tar), one of the Dark Gods, appears in her religion's art as a pale maiden dressed in white, pleated armor and carrying a bone-white wand, a whip, or a scourge that she uses as a weapon against her foes. She is venerated by torturers, sadists, and other twisted and evil people and creatures, including some nonhumans who love to bully other nonhumans. While he lived, Loviatar served Bhaal along with Talona, though the two goddesses are heated rivals. Loviatar loves to torment and tease Talona and has more than once expressed the opinion that by all rights Talona ought to and eventually will serve her. Loviatar is aggressive, domineering, and fearless. She has a cold and calculatingly cruel nature and is also almost unreachable emotionally-toward love, fear, or even hatred. It would have to be a miracle for any deity or moral to make a dent in her icebound heart. She has an instinct for inflicting both physical and psychological pain, and she always seems to know what to say and the way to say it to inflict the most hurt and raise the biggest self-doubts in someone, mortal or deity. And unlike most simple bullies, she does not fear pain or hurt herself and laughs at attempts to physically damage or verbally humiliate her. The only possible weakness one might use against her is her very calculating nature, which relies on her assumption of the innate selfishness of human nature-beings acting in a self-sacrificing or heroic manner can sometimes snarl her carefully knit plans. Other Manifestations Loviatar manifests either as a flying black whip that moves as her avatar does and has the same properties as the whips her avatar can create or as a floating, disembodied human female head that laughs maniacally as it flies about, platinum blond tresses streaming behind it. In either form, Loviatar can use her kiss ability, speak, write (with the top of the whip or as an animated lock of hair, in either case leaving behind letters written in black blood), or cast illusions. Loviatar also acts through the appearance or presence of baatezu (exiles), imps, and tieflings (mages and warriors who are all cruel, veteral adventurers, and skilled torturers). More commonly she sends inquisitors, nightmares, hell hounds, black rats, black poisonous spiders, wolf spiders, jet, ivory, snowflake ivory, snowflake obsidian, webstone, black violets, and black and red poppies to show her favor and as a sign to inspire her faithful. The Church CLERGY: Clerics, specialty priests, monks, mystics CLERGY'S ALIGN.: LE, NE, CE TURN UNDEAD: C: No, SP: No, Mon: No, Mys: No CMND. UNDEAD: C: Yes, SP: No, Mon: No, Mys: No All clerics, specialty priests, monks, and mystics of Loviatar receive religion (Faerunian) as a bonus nonweapon proficiency. Worship of Loviatar tends to be strongest in large, decadent cities such as Athkatla, Calimport, Mulmaster, Saerloon, Selgaunt, Telflamm, Waterdeep, and Westgate. Newcomers are often recruited from the ranks of the bored and wealthy or the desperately hungry beggars through large revels where much drugged wine is drunk and dancing and more intimate pursuits go on for several days and nights. Priests of Loviatar are few in number, but widespread in power. Opponents tend to avoid them, since murder is the least that they will do in revenge again insults to their goddess. Women-both humans and half-elves-dominate the ranks of the priesthood both numerically and in rank and have alsways done so. Loviatar's tightly organized priesthood is composed primarily of clerics. Her specialty priests, called pains, operate as a separate arm of the faith, moving from place to place and ensuring that the goddess's will is carried out; they serve as the envoys and secret agents/inquisitors of the church. The clerics hold the pains in great regard, since they are often the tools of Loviatar's punishment. If an organized temple or shrine of Loviatar is present in a city, clerics make up the bulk of the organization, but one to three pains are also able to be called upon by the clerics. Mystics often are attached to small groups of pains, and monks, while living only with other monks in monasteries and abbeys, usually owe fealty also to the temple to which their abbey is hierarchically attached. Priests of Loviatar are known as Loviatans (pronounced "Low-VEE-a-tans" and in old texts are sometimes referred to as Lovites (LOH-vites). They tend to be cruel and sadistic. They enjoy bestowing pain upon others (and receiving it) within a hierarchy of strict rules and discipline. Junior clergy members are often ordered to do tasks in a needlessly difficult or painful way to reinforce this iron discipline. Those who stay faithful usually develop truly awesome self-control, and in battle can carry on thinking and acting calmly even when dying from wounds or lacking limbs. They become very used to pain and are usually much scarred from self-inflicted injuries and hurts dealt by their superiors. To increase the agonies they receive and inflict, handfuls of salt are often rubbed in open wounds. Loviatans always pray for battle spells before going out in public and are admonished to be alert. Although they boldly walk dark streets alone, their reputations sometimes land them in trouble with drunken sailors or dock workers or into ambushes from adherents of goodly faiths. Such attackers rapidly discover that most devotees of the Maiden of Pain are vicious in a fight. Since they do not fear pain or disfiguring wounds, they strike boldly where a more prudent combatant might withdraw. Some priestesses even go into taverns when bored or restless and deliberately start fights, though Loviatans rarely resort to such public methods of spreading mayhem in civilized areas for fear that they will be thwarted, slain, and the faith outlawed or adherants harassed in the future. Novices or postulants to the Faith of Pain are known as Kneeling Ones. Confirmed priests used the titles (in ascending order): Taystren, Adept (in Pain), Sister/Brother (in Torment), Supremar, Caressor (of Terrors), Whiplass/Whiplar, Paingiver, Whipmistress/Whipmaster, High Whipmistress/Whipmaster, Branded (of the God), and Truescar. Words in parentheses in the precending list represent parts of the formal title seldom used except in rituals, disciplinary hearings, or documents. The last two titles are applied to all Loviatan clergy members who have served as the head of a temple, abbey, or monastery of the goddess or who have personally distinguished themselves in their service and taken up a life of wandering to further Loviatar's will and influence, often sponsoring or leading bands of "dark adventurers" to spread torment. The church of Loviatar is currently relatively independent, though its members id other evil churches when it suits them. They particularly hate the church of Ilmater, which teaches that strength comes out of suffering, and the church of Eldath, which teaches of peace, the banishment of fear, and living in harmony with nature, since the specialty priests of these deities are resistant to Loviatar's pain-inflicting abilities. Most Loviatan temples feature extensive dungeons beneath their above-ground facilities. The surface temples are usually built of stone or thick wood and resemble nothing so much as a combination monastic cell complex and prison. Even the windows of priest's rooms often sport bars. Dogma: Loviatar teaches that the world is filled with pain and torment, and the best that one can do is suffer those blows that cannot be avoided and deal as much pain back to those who offend. They (chillingly) believe that true pleasure is only won through pain. In the Loviatan faith, the strong are those who taste pain and strive on. Novices in the Loviatan faith are charged as follows: "Kindnesses are the best companions to hurts, and incrase the intensity of suffering. Let mercy of sudden abstinence from causing pain and of providing unlooked-for lealing come over you seldom, but at whim, so as to make folk hope and increase the Mystery of Loviatar's Mercy. Unswerving cruelty will turn all folk against you. Act alluring, and give pain and torment to those who enjoy it as well as to those who deserve it most or would be most hurt by it. The lash, fire, and cold are the three pains that never fail the devout. Spread my teachings whenever punishment is meted out. Pain tests all, but gives strength of spirit to the hardy and the true. There is no true punishment if the punisher knows no discipline. Wherever a whip is, there am I. Fear me-and yet long for me." Day-to-Day Activities: As one of the Dark Gods, Loviatar likes to be feared, and her clergy members are ordered to whisper of her ever-present power in the darkness after they have inflicted pain. Their Prime Charge is to tirelessly cause suffering, both widespread and personal. This work may be as brutal as flogging an encountered band of orcs until they flee or as subtle as breaking hearts among young nobles by pretending to fall in love with the gallants (while disguising one's Loviatan faith), working to break up existing amours and friendships, and engaging in scandalous dalliances before coldly spurning the victims and departing. The activities of prudent worshipers of Loviatar should never be so high-profile that local authorities set out to imprison or thwart them upon first sight, but such activites should be energetic and numerous. Being a good actor-and of striking beauty, or experienced in using spells to appear so-are very useful traits for a Loviatan, but the most successful Loviatans are those who understand the ways and natures of folk and so know just how to cause them the most pain and to manipulate them toward that end. Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: The most basic ritual performed by Loviatans is a kneeling prayer at morning and at evening performed after striking oneself once with a whip. Other rituals of the faith center on consecrating wine, whips, holy symbols, and other items-both practical, such as potions of healing, and horrific, such as tortune implements-used by the devout and on celebrating advancement in priestly rank. All four seasonal festivals are celebrated by Loviatans with the Rite of Pain and Purity: a circle dance of chanting, singing clergy members performed upon barbed wire, thorns, or broken glass or crystal, where the priests allowed themselves to be urged to greater efforts by the whips of high-level priests and are accompanied by the drumming of lay worshipers. A red radiance rises gradually and forms a flickering cloud above the ring. If Loviatar has important missions to speak of, is especially pleased with this group of followers, or wants to enact her displeasure, she manifests in the heart of the cloud. If Loviatar does not manifest, the ritual ends after half an hour, and the priests heal themselves. Every twelfth night (unless such a night coincides with a Rite of Pain and Purity, which preempts it) the clergy members celebrate smaller Candle Rite wherein they sing, chant, and pray as they dance around lit candles, passing some parts of their bodies through or over their flames repeatedly until the rite ends with the highest-ranking priestess extinguishing her candle with consecrated wine. Major Centers of Worship: Aside from in the nation of Dambrath, where the worship of Loviatar is the state religion and the queen of Dambrath, Yenandra, is its high priestess, the Black Spires of the Maiden temple in the Vale of Wailing Women west of Ishla in Amn is the largest, wealthiest, and most energetic center of worship to Loviatar, sending out agents all over Faerun and speaking with "the close love of the goddess." The House of Spires has risen to such prominence only in the last decade and so very rapidly because of one priestess: Queen of Torment Chalathra Nyndra, a dark-eyed, raven-haired, gaunt woman of truly vicious tastes and a legendary hunger to feel pain. It should be noted that Chalathra has found and modified an old draconic spell that acts to heal through immersion in a pool of a secret, enchanted mixture of tree saps and plant oils-and that creatures in cantact with this substance automatically make all System Shock and Resurrection Survival rolls if faced with situations requiring them while largely immersed. Loviatans will hunt down-to the ends of Faerun and beyond-and slay anyone stealing any samples of this "Milk of the Maiden." Affiliated Orders: The Loviatan church has no affiliated knightly orders. Monks of the faith all belong to the Disciples of the White Rod, named in honor of the token granted to their founder by Loviatar and held in the home abbey near Calimport as a relic. Mystics follow an eccentric philosophy/order that they call the Way of Transcendence. When asked what their order's tenets are, they just smile knowingly. Priestly Vestments: Loviatans of both genders wear high black boots, black choker gorgets, and long black gloves that reach up to their shoulders. They also wear daring-looking leather body harnesses over or under side-slit ritual robes of icy white or black lined with scarlet silk (so that movements cause red flashes). Loviatans are usually armed with saw-edged daggers and whips. A typical priest of low rank has a dagger at her belt, another in one boot, and a barbed whip with a 6-foot reach that lashes for 1d6+1 points of damage. A priestess of "full" (medium) rank adds to this gear a barbed cat-o'-nine-tails with a 4-foot reach that flails for 2d4 points of damage, and perhaps a black metal mace with skin-contact sleep venom in its holly handle, so that its first strike releases the venom, causing the next six blows to force saving throws vs. poison on a victim. (Failure of this saving throw means falling asleep for 1d8+3 turns commencing in 1d4+1 rounds, and slapping or downsing the sleeper in cold water does not awaken him or her.) High-ranking priestesses are usually also equipped with several iron bands of Bilarro spheres at their belts, and afew also carry a wand of frost, fire, and fear. This rechargable magical weapon is a cat-o'-nine-tails with a 4-foot reach made of electrum tentacles attached to a steel shaft. Every strike from it drains 1 charge and deals out magical damage, as follows (roll 1d10): On a roll of 1, 4, or 7, the target takes 3d6 points of frost damage; on a roll of 2, 5, or 8, the victim is burned for 3d6 points of damage; on a roll of 3, 6, or 9, the victim is affected as if by a wand of fear; and on a roll of 10, two tentacles (determine their powers randomly) act on the victim, both dealing their usual damage (reroll any second roll of 10). Saving throws vs. spell are allowed against the whip's fear power, but not against its other two types of attack. Adventuring Garb: Priests and priestesses of Loviatar wear a pleated armor that resembles scale mail. However, the ceremonial garb is lightweight and designed for fashion rather than protection. It is constructed to emphasize the figure of the wearer rather than to provide true protection. The AC of ceremonial scale mail is 6 instead of 4. Loviatar's priests wear it is a badge of honor and pride. The pleated mail is often augmented by breastplates that bristle with spikes. From a wearer of such augmented armor, a firm hug (the Embrace of Loviatar) does 1d2 points of damage. The addition of the breastplate adds somewhat to the protection provided by the armor, raising the outfit's Armor Class to 5. Loviatar grants boons, in the form of white wands, to those who have caused widespread suffering. She usually grants these boons to members of her priesthood who have served her outstandingly. However, she has been known to grant white wants to individuals outside her faith who have, willingly or not, caused widespread suffering. She prefers to grant them to those who have unwillingly or unknowingly done so, in particular good and lawful types who will be tormented just knowing that they have advanced her cause. (Loviatar delights in tormenting good or lawful beings with these "gifts"; in such cases, the wand emits her cold laughter whenever it operates.) Loviatar's white wands appear mysteriously, but their origin and purpose are mentally communicated to the beings they are intended for upon first contact. (If any other creature but the one it is intended for touches a white wand, it melts away like ice in the hot sun.) A white wand absorbs 1d10 levels of spells launched against the wand-bearer before being used up. It operates automatically to completely absorb such spells. When a white wand's capacity is exceeded, it dissolves-but it does wholly negate any last magic that overloads it, even if the spell greatly exceeds the level-absorption capacity remaining in the wand. Specialty Priests (Pains) REQUIREMENTS: Constitution 15, Wisdom 15 PRIME REQ.: Constitution, Wisdom ALIGNMENT: LE WEAPONS: All bludgeoning weapons (wholly Type B) plus whip and scourge ARMOR: All armor types up to and including scale mail and shield (pleated ceremonial scale mail preferred) MAJOR SPHERES: All, charm, combat, elemental, healing, law, necromantic, sun MINOR SPHERES: Animal, divination, guardian, summoning, time, weather MAGICAL ITEMS: Same as clerics REQ. PROFS: Leatherworking, scourge BONUS PROFS: Endurance, rope use, whip Pains may inflict a pain touch on any opponent they touch with a successful attack roll using a hand or other limb. If this saving throw succeeds, she or he suffers no effect. If the saving throw fails, she or he is wracked by pain, suffering a -4 penalty to attack rolls and a -2 penalty to all Dexterity checks for as many rounds as a pain's level. Pains may attack one individual of size H or smaller each day for every three levels of experience they have (one person at 1st-3rd levels, two at 4th-6th levels, etc.) Pains may combine this ability with any attack roll to touch a certain being (such as is required for say, a cause light wounds spell), in some cases resulting in two magical effects happening to a creature at once. Certain special abilities of other specialty priests (Ilmater and Eldath, for example) negate the effect of this ability. As a result, there is great hatred between the clergy of Loviatar and that of these deities. At 3rd level, pains are able to cast whip of flame (as the 2nd-level priest spell) once a day. At 5th level, pains are able to cast dance of pain or whip of pain (as the 3rd-level priest spells) once a day. At 5th level, pains are able to cast touch of Loviatar (as the 2nd-level spell) once a day. They may cast an additional touch of Loviatar for every two experience levels they gain agove 5th level (twice at 7th level, three times at 9th, etc.) to a limit of five times a day. At 7th level, pains are able to cast kiss of torment (as the 4th-level priest spell) once a day. At 10th level, pains are able to cast eyebite (as the 6th-level wizard spell) once a day. Only the effects of the sleep form of the spell can be reflected upon them, however. At 15th level, pains are able to cast symbol (as the 7th-level wizard spell) once a day. They prefer to use the pain form of this spell-like ability, but can use the other forms also. At 20th level, pains are able to cast ensnarement (as the 6th-level wizard spell) once a month. They are taught how to make the proper warding circles through the lore of the church and do so with the same facility as a wizard of their level. Permanent warding circles are found in the dungeons of some temples of Loviatar. Loviatan Spells 2nd Level Loviatar's Caress (Alteration) Sphere: Combat Range: 10 yards/level Components: V, S Duration: Special Casting Time: 5 Area of Effect: Special Saving Throw: None This spell provides the means of unerringly delivering another single harmful or beneficial spell of 4th level or less that requires a touch to deliver cast within the round immediately preceding the casting of Loviatar's caress. It may be combined with the pain touch ability of a specialty priest of Loviatar. Whip of Flame (Evocation) Sphere: Combat Range: 0 Components: V, S, M Duration: 7 rounds Casting Time: 5 Area of Effect: Special Saving Throw: None This spell creates a blazing whip or flexible line or flames extending for 12 feet from one of the caster's hands (or, if lacking a hand, from the end of whatever is left of the caster's arm). The whip of flame is wielded using the caster's THAC0, and it strikes once per round. Although this weightless lash behaves like a whip, and burns brightly enough to see by, the flames are actually an illusion, and cannot ignite anything. The weapon is an intangible line of force, not an actual cord that can wrap around things, be grasped, or be cut. A whip of flame does damage by transmitting heat, searing whatever it touches for 1d8+3 points of damage per strike. Metal weapons and armor transmit full damage to their wearers, but leather armor or the padding typically worn under metal armor reduces damage by half, rounding fractions down, for the first strike of the whip of flame; thereafter, such garments are hot enough to transmit full damage to their wearers. Note that creatures can pass through the lashing whip without being slowed or hampered in any way, but in turn they have no effect on it. Beings who rush through the stretched-out whip or otherwise deliberately come into contact with it take its full damage even when it has already struck another creature on the same round. The whip of flame fades away when the spell expires, the caster wills it so, or the caster commences any other spellcasting. The material components of this spell are one of the caster's hairs and a flaming branch, spark, or lump of charcoal. 3rd Level Dance of Pain (Alteration, Necromancy) Sphere: Combat, Necromantic Range: Touch Components: V, S Duration: 4 rounds Casting Time: 6 Area of Effect: One recently injured creature of size L or smaller Saving Throw: Special This spell only affects creatures who have been recently injured, defined as having lost some of their hit points within the preceding 24 hours. It is wasted if cast on a healthy, unharmed being, or a creature larger than size L. (The spell cannot form around larger beasts.) When the caster successfully touches the target of the spell, a spiral of illusory blades whirls around the victim, marking the boundaries of a field of sharp-edged, invisible lines of force that cut the victim and buffet him or her about. If free the move, victims of this spell are jerked about in an uncontrollable dance that causes a -2 penalty to their attack rolls, worsens their Armor Class by 4 points, and makes intricate tasks (such as opening locks or casting spells) impossible. The unseen cutting edges slice and slash the victim for 2d4+4 points of damage per round. Restrained or immobile victims simply suffer damage. Victims of this spell are allowed saving throws vs. spell each round. When a saving throw succeeds, it means that they take only 2 points of damage on that round and can manage at least one semi-intricate task (such as hurling a missile weapon, getting an item from pouch or belt and readying it for use, and so on), but still cannot cast spells. Whip of Pain (Necromancy) Sphere: Combat, Necromantic Range: 0 Components: V, S, M Duration: 1 round/level Casting Time: 6 Area of Effect: Special Saving Throw: Special This spell creates a whiplike, flexible line of force emanating from the fingertips of the caster's hand (or, if lacking a hand, from the end of whatever is left of the caster's arm). This crackling, coiling line of purple sparks is wielded as a whip and uses its caster's THAC0 to attack. It strikes opponents up to 10 feet distant. The whip of pain functions as a +2 magical weapon for purposes of which creatures it is able to affect. When the wielder successfully strikes a target, the whip makes a loud snapping sound, and the target must make a saving throw vs. spell and a Constitution ability check. If the saving throw fails, the victim suffers 4d4 points of damage; if it succeeds, the victim suffers only half damage. If the ability check succeeds, the victim feels only enough pain to suffer a -1 penalty to his or her very next attack roll. If it fails, the target is wracked by pain on the remainder of the current and all of the next round. This lowers his or her Armor Class by 1, places a -2 penalty on attack rolls, and makes it impossible for the victim to concentrate long enough to cast any spells. The whip of pain fades away when the spell expires, is dispelled, the caster wills it to, the caster falls unconscious, or the caster commences any other spellcasting. The wielder can trigger magical items like wands with his or her other hand without ending this spell. The material components of this spell are a drop of unholy water and one of the caster's hairs. 4th Level Kiss of Torment (Necromancy) Sphere: Combat, Necromantic Range: Touch Components: V, S Duration: 3 rounds Casting Time: 7 Area of Effect: One creature of size L or less Saving Throw: Special To enact kiss of torment, the caster must successfully touch the bare flesh of the victim with his or her bare flesh; this touch can be of any type from a light brush with the fingertips to an actual kiss. Kiss of torment attacks the nervous system of the body, overwhelming it with phantom pain that causes the victim to writhe uncontrollably and suffer 4d6 points of damage. Typically, targets of this spell can retain their footing and their grasp on wielded or carried items, but can do little else; attacking or uttering incantations is impossible. The victim is allowed a saving throw vs. spell at the end of the first round, and if it succeeds, the spell ends. If it fails, the writhing continues for a second round and another saving throw is necessary. If this second saving throw succeeds, no damage is taken in the second round and the spell ends, but if it fails, an additional 2d6 points of damage is inflicted upon the victim, the writhing continues for a third round, and another saving throw is necessary. If this third saving throw succeeds, no damage is taken in the third round and the spell ends, but if it fails, an additional 1d6 points of damage is inflicted upon the victim. Category:Lesser deities